Searching for Something Missing
by P1Bres
Summary: Ryou meeting the hero Kite and the mysterious Nine is just the start of new troubles for him. (AU, The World/Alba is the real world the characters are living in)
1. First Meeting

**A/N: Crossposting from** **Ao3! A shame Tokio doesn't have a character tag on ffnet :(.**

* * *

"A temple for Skeith…" Ryou turned at the sound of a voice full of distaste. Standing there was a man, shorter than your average person, but with an aura that was hard to ignore.

His hair was a teal, his clothes something between red and orange. The red markings on his face looked similar to the ones the hero of legend had in murals… Murals that Skeith often told Ryou were "falsified" and "biased."

"Kite…" The name came to him naturally, as the man approached. "Who defeated the old mother goddess's eight phases and the god of the Void?"

"So people still know about me…" Kite's hand ran across a painting of Skeith upon the wall. "Kinda insulting to worship the things that tried to kill me and my friends, don't you think?"

Ryou scoffed, looking away. "I don't see how that's any of your business anymore. Not like they can be on the mortal plane, so what's the problem?"

Looking away proved to be a mistake.

A blade against his neck, it didn't take a genius to figure out what was pressed against Ryou's neck. He looked down at the man, who stared up at him, eyes void of any real emotion. Looked like he'd hit a nerve, then.

"It's my business because they nearly destroyed Alba once, who's to say they won't do it again?"

Ryou stared right back, not flinching a bit. "They helped save it after that, in case you missed it."

"...You really believe that?" Kite pulled his blade away, just slightly. "Suddenly these beasts do good…?"

"I believe it because I was there." Ryou put a hand on the blade, no fear in his voice or expression. "...I can speak with one of them, after all."

"Let me guess…" The blade finally fully lowered to Kite's side. "Skeith? What an unlucky blessing you have."

Ryou shrugged. "Didn't always have it, but I got used to it."

"What are you talking about?" He furrowed his brow, watching Ryou carefully. "All children with the ability to speak to a deity learn that at a young age."

"...There's a long story behind it." Ryou rubbed the back of his head. "And you'd call me crazy if I explained, so let's just pretend I'm a late bloomer."

Kite shook his head. "I'm afraid I need more than that."

Ryou sighed. He knew he shouldn't have come to the temple today… Why had he come despite the feeling in his gut? Sometimes he was too stubborn for his own good.

"I have a bond with the god, I guess. One that goes deeper than most…" Ryou shrugged, trying to stay nonchalant. "Legend has it the legendary hero Kite had that, too. With the god of the Void."

Kite hummed, sitting on a pew. "Maybe, but I think I killed Cubia. Skeith is still active, if his worshippers are to be believed."

Ryou was silent for a moment. "Skeith has changed."

"Skeith can't change."

Ryou already didn't know what to say. He guessed he could understand… He felt that way about another god once. Funnily enough, a god that looked quite a bit like Kite.

He shook his head. Now wasn't the time to think about that. He was having a conversation with someone who wasn't afraid to get a bit rough. He needed to be on his toes.

Especially when the door creaked open, revealing a tall man. Nearly as tall as Ovan, Ryou noted. His face was covered by a black cloak, though Ryou could see his clothes under were designed for ease of movement.

"Oh…" He paused, taking a step back. "Am I interrupting something?"

Thoughts raced through Ryou's mind as Kite watched him closely. The conversation with the Twin Blade clearly wasn't going anywhere, maybe he could use this new arrival as a way out for now. Until he had time to talk to his friends and ask for their opinion on all this.

"No, nothing." He shook his head. "Do you need something?"

"I'm, uh, looking for a Haseo…?"

"That's me." He stepped forward, putting his back to Kite despite how little he liked the idea of that. "What's up?"

The man glanced at Kite before looking Ryou in the eyes. "Actually, I'd rather, uh... talk alone…" He pressed something into his hand. "Come to the local pub and ask for Nine later, okay?"

Ryou blinked, rolling the object pressed into his hand around a bit. "...Okay."

This was strange, a rock shoved into his hand by a stranger and a request to find him later… Ryou was wary, but when had that ever stopped him before? He'd just have to make sure someone knew his whereabouts before he dived in, that's all.

"Great." Nine gave him a smile, patting him on the shoulder before making for the exit. "See you then, Haseo."

And with that, it was back to two within the temple. Ryou's mouth felt dry as Kite studied him closely. He felt like a woodland creature, trapped by a curious and cruel child, unable to run or fight.

_**"Ryou, don't falter for a brat like this." **_A familiar voice snapped him out of his fear. _**"He tries to act superior, but he barely beat me. You'll be fine as long as you don't show fear."**_

The words of the god echoed in his head as he turned to face down Kite. "Anything else you need, hero?"

"I want to hear more about you and Skeith." Kite pointed at him, having not moved from his spot on the pew. "Aren't there usually worshippers around when the gods' mouthpieces are in the temple?"

"This wasn't planned." Ryou walked past him, moving to lean against the bloodstained altar. "I come here when I need to think or ask Skeith his opinion on something."

"You trust his opinion?" Kite finally stood, moving to stand in front of Ryou. "How could you trust the opinion of someone who almost killed so many?! Ruined the lives of more people than I can count?!"

Ryou wouldn't meet his gaze. "Don't get me wrong, he's not exactly the most trustworthy… He guided me wrong once, tried to kill me, but…" He looked back to Kite, the scar on his cheek almost aching as the words spilled out. "When a piece of your soul is within a god, you can probably trust them, don't you think?"


	2. Propositions

Ryou walked into the Mac Anu pub bustling with activity. Even with all the progress he had made, the noise and activity was a bit grating… This Nine better have something important to share with him…

He looked at the rock in his hand with a frown. He still hadn't been able to figure out what it was for, no matter how hard he looked at it. Purple hues, with blue and yellow dots across it. He'd never seen a rock like this before… But it didn't do anything special.

After a moment, he approached the bartender, leaning against the bar as nonchalantly as he could. "I'm looking for a Nine."

The bartender looked at him for a moment before giving a large smile. "Of course, upstairs, second door on the left."

Ah, that was right, the pub doubled as an inn. Ryou had a nice room at Canard, so his days of gathering up money for a room felt like a distant dream. He mumbled a thank you, waving the thoughts away, and made for the stairs.

Soon enough, he was in front of the door. He reminded himself that both Atoli and Pi knew where he was, so this should be fine… A deep breath later, and he was knocking at the door.

When it opened, he was surprised by just how friendly Nine looked when he didn't have that hood on. Bright red hair, with a pair of black goggles sat on top of his head. Tanned skin and a friendly pair of golden eyes looking down at him.

His smile was wide, arms outstretched to pull Ryou into a hug. "Haseo! I'm glad you came!"

Ryou went rigid in the grip of the taller man. Being touched still formed a pit in his stomach, even if he could keep himself from pushing or snapping at the person doing just that.

He did his best to relax into the touch, noting how broad and muscular Nine seemed to be. This was the body of a man who could use his body to kill, but he was being so affectionate… It was weird to Ryou.

He finally pulled himself away, taking in a deep breath. "Okay, so… what exactly do you need from me?"

Nine's face became serious as he led Ryou to the bed, sitting on the side and expecting Ryou to do the same. "Do you still have that stone I gave you?"

"Huh? Yeah…" He held it out, running his thumb over it. "It's interesting looking but it doesn't seem to do anything."

Nine shook his head. "It doesn't do anything. It's just a sign that she's still out there."

"She?"

"Aika, the goddess of Friendship." Nine's eyes seemed distant for a moment, as if remembering a good friend. "Some time ago, she vanished from Alba, in order to help Aura…"

"...But this rock makes you think she's not as gone as she seemed?" He quirked an eyebrow.

"That and… dreams. I've dreamt of her." He closed his eyes tight for a second. "But I didn't know how to directly contact her… Until now."

Ryou blinked. "Until now?"

"If one wants to summon Aura, bringing the Phases of Morganna to the mortal plane is a surefire way to bring her back…" Nine grabbed Ryou's hands, gripping them tightly. "If you and the other speakers of the gods perform the ritual to bring them to the mortal plane… Aika is sure to be with Aura, so…!"

Ah, so that's what he was after.

"Sorry." Ryou pulled his hands out of Nine's with a sigh. "Even if I agreed, it'd take forever to make the rest agree… We don't exactly like the ceremonial robes that come with it all, and there's a lotta bumping heads if we all meet up."

"I know, but…" Nine leaned closer. "It's important you help me. If you don't…"

* * *

Ryou walked out of the pub, thoughts heavy on his heart. Everything Nine had told him… Were the stakes really that high? He wasn't sure he could deal with something like that again.

"Haseo." He jumped at the sound of Kite's voice. There was the Twin Blade, standing with his back against a wall across from the pub. "I was waiting for you."

Ryou crossed his arms. "Oh? You want something else?"

"You ran off after saying something about a piece of your soul being with the god of Death and didn't expect me to want to know more?" Kite quirked an eyebrow as he approached. "That's not something you hear every day."

God, Ryou and his big mouth… "Yeah, I guess that's true. Didn't plan on saying anymore, though."

Kite watched him carefully. "Oh? Why say anything to begin with?"

"I didn't know how else to explain why I can trust Skeith." Really, that was the whole reason… "There's no reason to go into the details past that, is there?"

Kite continued to watch him and Ryou felt like he was gonna hurl. There was just something so cold about those eyes… Almost inhumanly so.

"I'd like more details before I explain what I need from you, you know." Kite's words put Ryou on edge, everything Nine having told him sitting heavy on his mind. "But if you don't want to, I guess I can get right to business."

"And what do you need from me?"

"I need you and the other speakers of the gods to summon them all to the mortal plane." Kite's expression changed from a cold one to an almost pained one. "I need to see Aura, ask her why she abandoned us all… And that's the best way to do it."

Ryou sucked in a breath. "It's hard to get us all in place for a ritual like that, you do know that, right?"

"Of course, but rumor has it the god of Death has been building in power, so who better to wrangle everyone together than his speaker?" Kite placed a hand on his shoulder, a fake smile on his lips. "I'm sure with a little elbow grease you could have everyone lined up within a few days."

"But that would mean I'd want to do the ritual…" Ryou was sure his unwillingness to do so was implied.

Kite chuckled, patting Ryou on the shoulder. "Don't worry, I can be persuasive, if you're still unsure."

Ryou didn't like the sound of that one bit.


	3. Advice

**A/N: This fic is way ahead on Ao3, I'll post in bursts of 3 chapters here once per week, if I can.**

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"I don't know if I can trust either of them." Ryou leaned against the altar with a sigh. "But they're both persistent…"

_**"Hmph." **_Skeith sounded annoyed as he spoke into Ryou's mind. _**"Neither are worth our time, Ryou. Ignore them."**_

"I'd love to do that, but they seem the types to come back if nothing happens!" Ryou groaned. "What do I do if they do that."

**_"Well… you could always show them the power of Skeith's favorite pet._" **The god's words were a coo. _**"It wouldn't take much to-"**_

"I'm not going to kill them, Skeith." Ryou shook his head. "For the last time, human sacrifices are not okay."

**_"You're still no fun… Why do you have to be my conscience all the time?"_ **His voice was a whine, unfitting for a god, but something Ryou was used to.

"Because I've gotta look out for the piece of me in you…" He paused. "And make sure the piece of you in me doesn't mess with my own morals."

A grumble._ **"Fair enough… But maybe one day you'll see how fun my way is."**_

"Uh-huh, whatever keeps you happy." Ryou sighed, pulling himself off of the altar. Looked like Skeith didn't have any advice this time around. At least not any advice he could actually use.

He thought thought about the other speakers of the gods, wondered for a moment if he could ask any of them for advice… But would that be a good idea? If he asked the wrong person, they might pressure him into a choice without much thought. They all had their own morals and opinions, after all…

Calling them all for a meeting was out of the question, too. What if Nine or Kite walked in and assumed Ryou had agreed and called them for the ritual? All that would do is careen him into a corner and piss off his friends.

"Gods, this is impossible!" He kicked the altar, his anger flaring up a bit. He wanted to turn to someone, but who…?

_**"What about that Shino woman?" **_His head snapped up at Skeith's voice. _**"You trust her quite a bit, don't you? Perhaps her advice would be more your speed."**_

"That's… a good idea." He nodded. "Thanks, Skeith."

_**"It's the least I can do for my favorite pet."**_

It was nice, having Skeith there to speak with. Sometimes he could be level headed when Ryou couldn't. Sure, the god of Death could be a bit violent… But that's what Ryou was here to temper a bit.

They really did complete each other in a way.

"I'm gonna go talk to Shino, then. I'll check up on you again in a while." He made for the door, pausing as he made it, to allow the god a chance to reply.

_**"As you always do… and Ryou?"**_

"Yes, Skeith?"

_**"You're always saying this and that about friendship, so don't start pushing people away again, hm?" **_His voice was softer than usual. _**"You're much less fun when you're holing yourself up with me alone."**_

"Yeah… I won't push people away, I promise."

* * *

He found Shino where he often found her, the Hulle Granz Cathedral. Standing in the light of the sunset, hands behind her back as she looked upon everything. As calm as always…

"Shino." He approached the woman, coming to a stop next to her. "Funny how I can always find you here."

Shino giggled, looking over at Haseo. "What can I say? I do come here when I need to think."

"I guess I do that too…"

"With the Skeith temple, right?" Shino smiled softly. "Though, I guess you come here, too… When thinking alone is too much."

Ryou nodded, but said nothing.

"...Is something bothering you, Haseo?" She placed a gentle hand in his hair.

"...Two guys approached me, told me they want to try and summon Aura." He looked up at the empty altar, where a statue of the goddess had once stood. "But I don't know if I can trust either of them."

Shino hummed, her hand falling to her side. "Well, do you want to try and summon Aura?"

"...I don't think I do."

"Then isn't the answer obvious?" She moved to stand in front of him. "Just tell them you have no interest in doing it."

"See, I want to, but…" He swallowed hard. "One of them is insisting the fate of Alba could rest on finding Aura or not… And the other seems like he'd find a way to make me agree, even if I straight up told him no."

"Haseo…" Shino's smile fell into a worried frown. "You've saved Alba once, it's not your responsibility to do it again."

"I know that, but-"

She placed a hand on his head once again, a gentle and almost motherly touch. "Haseo… no, Ryou. Please, just take care of yourself. I'm sure they'll understand if you just explain yourself and your stance clearly."

Tears stung at the back of his eyes as he nodded. "Yeah, you're right, Shino… No reason to force myself into doing something I don't want, but…"

"But…?" She tilted her head to the side.

"Is it selfish? To not want to see Aura because of…" He trailed off, biting his lower lip. The memories of all the suffering he'd gone through because of her still felt a bit like a distant dream, but they were there. And no matter how he tried, it left an unsettling feeling in his stomach whenever he thought of the goddess…

If he hadn't decided to help Tsukasa flee with Aura… If he had listened to Morganna all those years ago… If just one little thing had changed… Those ifs ran through his mind often. How different would he be if it wasn't for Aura?

The thought unsettled him to his very core.

Shino let her hand fall again as she hummed, hands behind her back as she pulled Ryou from his thoughts. "Well, that? That… I think is something you have to answer for yourself."


End file.
